Work Text:
Jack didn't care.
About the digits that kept ticking down on his wrist, as if he was born with a moving tattoo. About the notion that somewhere out in this world, he had another human being waiting for him, waiting for the time their clock finally strikes zero. About people being destined to meet their lover, as if that was the most certainly beautiful thing this world had to offer.
Honestly, he even found it silly.
Why the hell did the numbers on his wrist determine who and when he would meet the " one "? In fact, why do humans even need this stupid ass thing? It doesn't mean that meeting your soulmate could be the best fucking thing in the world. You don't need to count down the days. It's just a stranger. You're just gonna meet a fucking stranger. A stranger who's apparently " your other half ". But why couldn't you be whole on your own? Why need some other dumb fuck to complete yourself? Why did a ticking time bomb have to determine who the hell that half was?
I guess you can say he's never been a fan of love.
—•—
Mark was scared.
Of the digits on his wrist that held so much importance, endlessly counting down days, weeks, months, and years. Of the notion that somewhere out in this world waits the one person he was meant to endlessly love. Of people being destined to meet their lover, one of the most certainly beautiful things this world had to offer.
Honestly, he was just worried.
Would he actually be able to tell who it was he was going to love forever when all there's left is zeros? Why didn't this thing come with a name instead, like all the books he's read on soulmates? It would probably be easier to find the right one if he had a name to look for. Then again, maybe meeting would have lost its magic. Who even knows, soulmates were always a tricky thing. There were so many secrets to it. Would it be as magical as most people say? Was it really the best thing that could happen to you? Would this all even work out for him?
I guess you can say he's such a sucker for love.
—•—
"I can't believe your clock is down to weeks, man. You're meeting the one soon," Robin said to his roommate, cheeky smile on his face.
"Shut up and leave me alone. These digits don't fuckin' matter."
The man frowned in reply, "Why are you always such a sour puss when it comes to love? Aren't you curious about who it's gonna be?"
"No. Not at all," Jack said with a shake of his head, trying his best to shove the topic away while making a point to let his buddy know that he hated it — these numbers on his wrist.
"Really?"
The green haired man sighed, totally done with this conversation, "I'm not a sap, dude. Now can we please talk about something else?"
"Hey, wanting love doesn't make you a sap. It makes you human ," Robin said, choosing not to drop this topic altogether.
Oh, it was gonna be a long day.
—•—
"Weeks left, huh?" the tall man spoke, nothing but a mischievous smirk on his face.
"Yeah, Wade. I'm nervous."
"Why's that?" Wade simply asked as he sat in his friend's couch, watching him pace around the living room.
"I don't honestly know. Maybe I'm not mentally ready," Mark said as he ran a hand through his raven hair in worry, hoping that the action would be enough to ease his nerves.
"You don't ever get mentally ready for it, Mark. It's like rollercoasters — you just have to hop on and ride it despite your fears because damn , they sure are worth it in the end."
"Wow, comparing love to rollercoasters? Really?" Mark said with a laugh, happy to have his friend somehow help ease a few of the nerves in the pit of his stomach.
"Of course."
"Thanks for that, but I don't think it calms me as much as you hoped it would," the American replied with a sigh, finally plopping down next to his buddy.
"Well, if this makes you feel any better, meeting Molly was the greatest moment in my life, and back at the time I didn't really expect much from this," Wade shared, glancing down at the zeros on his wrist with a fond smile. The look in his eyes was enough to make Mark feel warm, knowing that he's gonna have that look too, and soon.
Oh, he just couldn't wait .
—•—
Four days. That was all he had left. And being against the idea of the countdown on his wrist — against the idea of soulmates — he was starting to feel queasy.
Maybe nervous, too. But he doesn't wanna admit it. He clearly doesn't care, right? Why would he be nervous if he didn't care? Why feel all tingly and worried about the damn thing if he didn't give a single fuck?
Besides, he had more important things to focus on.
"I'm gonna miss you, buddy," Robin said as the two of them hugged, bidding his now ex-roommate goodbye, "Hope the flight to LA won't be a struggle."
"I'll miss you too, Robin. And don't ye worry, I don't think the flight would be anything but nauseating," Jack replied jokingly, pulling away from the other man with a smile on his face.
"Wow, really? That's supposed to reassure me?"
"Well, ye do hate my guts..."
Robin tried to stifle a laugh, but to no avail, "You know I don't, Seán."
" Sure , say what ye want ta say," the Irishman joked some more, adding an eyeroll into the mix. He surely was gonna miss Ireland and everything in it, although new opportunities and horizons surely didn't sound too bad.
"Goodluck, by the way," Robin said with that knowing smirk, and the Irishman didn't understand at first, raising an eyebrow in question, until eventually, it clicked.
And then he groaned.
"Will you just drop it?"
"No."
"Gee, thanks," Jack replied sarcastically, now rubbing his wrist with the digits anxiously. He really was getting the nerves now, huh? Who would've known.
"Sure thing, bud. Can't wait to meet the lucky lad or lass," Robin continued to tease, clearly enjoying his buddy's facial expressions of disgust, annoyance, worry, and fear at the same time.
"I'll make sure to never let ye know. That way, dealing with this dipshit will be easier," the Irishman sighed, deciding to actually haul his luggages out the door now instead of just standing around and letting the other man annoy him to his heart's content.
"Don't deny the fact that you're curious, Jack. I can tell, I'm your best friend."
" Oh, please, " Jack said, feeling tired of all the love and romance being thrown in his direction, "The only thing I'm curious about is why ye won't fuckin' stop bugging me about this soulmate crap."
"Fine. I'll stop. But not forever. I can bug you online."
"Maybe I should block ye," Jack groaned in false annoyance, failing to remove the grin on his face. Even if he hated talking about the numbers that controlled his love life, it was still really fun to banter about it with Robin. He was surely gonna miss these petty quarrels. It'll be different from a distance.
"Rude."
"Ye know I'm joking, right?"
"Oh? Well good!"
And Jack just laughed at his silly friend, before they bid farewell for good, smiles left on their faces instead of sad frowns because they knew they had the internet to talk to each other anyway.
With heavy luggages, excitement, and the countdown on his wrist, he made it to the airport, then to his flight, then finally into the open air, the lights of his hometown distant and out of reach. He was on the way to a new city, a new country, a new life. He was on the way to new skies, new faces, new openings, and a whole new life. A new world that awaited his arrival. A whole new place to call home.
He was on the way and he just couldn't wait , his happiness and excitement enough to make him forget about the clock inked into his skin, even just for a little while.
—•—
One day. Just one more day to spend waiting. And being the man he is, he was so so worried — he couldn't believe tomorrow was that fateful day.
He was curious, too. Did he have to be somewhere specific? Would he instantly know who it was or would he have to ask the people around him if their time was up, too? Clearly, he could just ask the people with experience, but he didn't want to seem too eager. He really was just nervous.
Besides, he had more important things to focus on.
"Hey co-worker. How's the skit coming along?" Ethan asked cheerfully as he went inside their shared office cubicle, a mug of coffee in hand.
"Well, since my personal hobbies are none of your business, I won't tell you anything," Mark replied sarcastically, shamefully minimizing the Word document that had just been open.
"Come on. As your cubicle buddy, I deserve a little sneak peek."
"No you don't. Besides, no one's ever gonna see this shit anyway."
The shorter fellow just sighed, sitting back down into his respective seat, "Why do you even make those scripts if no one ever gets to see them?"
"Maybe because this desk job is so boring."
"Well, you are right about that."
"I could have been an engineer," Mark simply jokes with a small smile, resuming work on his Excel spreadsheet (and occasionally, his comedic skit).
"Yeah, and I could have been a YouTuber with weird blue hair. Surely anything is possible in this fucked-up world!"
"Geez, someone's a little salty today," Mark remarked, glancing at his friend from the corner of his eyes, noticing the unintentional malice in the other's voice, "Are you okay?"
"Fine, just feeling a little exhausted. Sorry for snapping," the man replied, rubbing his face as he scrolled mindlessly through his own work, "It's just all these... things going on right now, you know?"
"I know what you mean," Mark sighed, eyes glancing onto his wrist that read 21 hours. He really didn't want to think about those numbers right now, but he couldn't help it. The awaited moment was coming. The awaited person was coming.
"You do?" Ethan perks up, suddenly now interested in finding out about his officemate's life, "What's going on in your life, then?"
"Uh, my skit?" he didn't mean to make it a question. Maybe it would've been more convincing if it wasn't.
"Not buying it."
"Well, if you really want to know, you have to go first. This conversation was about your life, not mine."
"Oh, no sir! You go first. I'm a gent who waits his turn," was all Ethan said, his tone containing a hint of teasing, and Mark knew he had to go first.
He did make the mistake of acknowledging the empathy he felt. It was inevitable to hide from the other fellow now.
"It's just... this ," he sighed, lifting the wrist with the countdown as he continued to stare at his screen in hopes of not catching his friend's reaction. He didn't really want to think about tomorrow, wanting to just do work or continue his skit, but how could he do that now?
"Oh damn Fischbach! Tomorrow?" the man said, his voice shocked, the sass he had earlier now gone, along with whatever it was that triggered it in the first place, "You're meeting the one tomorrow?"
All the American could do is mumble a word in reply, "Yeah."
"Man, you sure are lucky. I still have a year and a half."
"I don't know, it's real scary," Mark said, his sentence speaking of truth and honesty, making known to the world his true feelings about the fateful day. It was so close, and he knew that he wanted it too, but he couldn't make the fear go away. His nerves are in a knot and he couldn't do anything about it.
Maybe just groan.
"Mark, don't let the fear consume you. Tomorrow's gonna be magical. Just keep that in mind. Forget all the worries that make you scared. Don't let it rot the beautiful moment to come," Ethan reassured the taller man, his voice warm, promising, and comforting.
"Thanks, Ethan. I needed that."
"Anytime!" he exclaimed, happy to help, "Actually, no. Scratch that. I'm only here from 9 to 5."
The American couldn't help smile at his co-worker's silly personality. He was glad to have the man around as his cubicle buddy, always there to cheer him up. Who knows what would happen to him if he was partnered up with someone else.
Hopefully that smile lasts a long while, though. Hopefully the expression of joy stays on his face long enough to keep his worry at bay. He didn't need to freak his soulmate away with his anxious thoughts. He didn't need to be so nervous. All he needed to be was calm.
But until that moment comes, he just needed to get through his task for the day and forget about the clock inked into his skin, even just for a little while.
—•—
He just wanted a day of peace.
Then again, what did he expect on the day he meets his soulmate?
It was supposed to be a relaxing walk, though , Jack thought as he shook his head, trying to stand back up but to no avail. The day had surely taken a weird turn.
Going to a park quite close to his apartment seemed to be a good idea at the time. As soon as he saw it a few days back while walking home from his temporary job at a nearby café, he knew he wanted to come over for the weekend just to have a calming walk, taking in the scenery along the way. Besides, all the tall trees reminded him of the log cabin back in Ireland, his first home. They may have been a lot less scattered, but the atmosphere didn't fail to make him nostalgic.
It really did seem like a good idea, until a dog just decided to come rampaging towards him, knocking him down with force, before covering him with sloppy licks.
He couldn't deny the fact that he was a sucker for cute puppies, but the timing couldn't be more perfect for a stranger's dog to maul him. Did his soulmate own this puppy or was this just the heavens telling him that he had to fall in love with a dog? Clearly it's most likely the former since he knew his soulmate was definitely human, but at that very moment, Jack just couldn't seem to think straight. This surely was the perfect, fateful day, huh?
The dog was finally pulled off of him after a few moments of unsuccessful attempts. And shortly after, a hand was placed in front of his face. Stupefied, the Irishman just stared, confused.
"I'm so sorry you had to go through that. She just... took off and I couldn't hold her back. I really hope you aren't too, uh... wet with dog saliva?"
"No worries," Jack simply said, thankful for his savior, clearing his throat when his voice lilted, "I'm just glad it's over."
"Do you want to stand up now?"
Oh. That's why he held out his hand.
"Crap. Right, sorry. Just stupid," Jack said to the man with a deep voice, embarrassed at having stared at the hand for a really long while, before he took it.
And that's when they felt it. An electric current, pulsing through their veins, jolting them awake.
Jack had to stare at his hand for a moment, shocked and shaken, before realizing what had just truly happened between them. He knew it was coming today anyway, especially when a dog jumped onto him, but the event still came as a huge surprise. He had to glance towards his wrist with the numbers just to make it clear in his head. He had to check, and then there it was.
All the zeros.
This was his soulmate.
—•—
He just wanted a day of peace.
Then again, what did he expect on the day he meets his soulmate?
Was it so hard to stay put, Chica? Mark thought as he shook his head, frantically searching for said dog but to no avail. The day had surely taken a weird turn.
All he wanted to do was take her out for a walk. Surely enough, it seemed like a good idea at the time since these walks weren't only beneficial for the dog but for him too. They normally eased and calmed his mind, and knowing how much nervous energy he had stored in his head, he immediately put the dog on a leash and took her back out to the park on this fateful Saturday. It was foolproof and perfect, a great way of spending the weekend that sealed his fate.
It really did seem like a good idea, until the dog decided to run, Mark's grip on the leash not strong enough to keep her near, making him immediately lose her in the vastness of the park.
He couldn't deny the fact that he loved his dog, but at that moment all he could really think of was how horrible this day was turning out to be. In only a few minutes, he was gonna meet the one who'd love him forever. But now, instead of having a few moments to breathe, he had to scramble around the park like a lunatic, searching for the disobedient puppy. This surely was the perfect, fateful day, huh?
He managed to spot Chica eventually, though, and a wave of relief quickly washes over him — until he realizes what she's doing to a poor, innocent bystander. As quick as he can, he heads over to them and hauls her off of the man, quickly apologizing for his dog's misbehavior, feeling ashamed and embarrassed for having caused some trouble.
"No worries," the man simply said in return, clearly forgiving him. Mark couldn't help notice the evident Irish accent he was trying to hide, though, "I'm just glad it's over."
"Do you want to stand up now?" the American muttered, realizing that the other man had just been staring at the hand he was offering.
"Crap. Right, sorry. Just stupid."
Aw, he's actually pretty cute.
And that's when they felt it. An electric current, pulsing through their veins, jolting them awake.
Mark reflexively pulled his hand away, staring at it for a quick second, completely startled, before realizing what had just truly happened between them. He knew it was coming anyway, the countdown indicated the fateful day was today, but he didn't expect that kind of meeting. He had to glance towards his wrist with the numbers just to make sure this was the right person. He had to check, and then there it was.
All the zeros.
This was his soulmate.
—•—
"Let's try that again," Mark said after a short moment of silence passed between them, placing his hand in front of the Irishman once again.
When Jack grabbed it this time, nothing striking happened, although it was still pretty odd to be holding the hand of his soulmate.
"Thanks, I guess?" the Irishman spoke as soon as he was done dusting his shirt and pants free of dirt from the park's pavement, taking this time now to look at the man in front of him.
"Why are you thanking me? Did you enjoy getting knocked down by a dog?" Mark joked casually, a smile on his face.
He had a sense of humor. That's good to know.
"Obviously not," Jack simply answered with a sigh and a smile, "I was thanking you for saving my ass."
"Anything for a pot of gold."
Jack raised his eyebrows in question. Was it that easy to tell he was an immigrant from Ireland? Surely he could've been mistaken for a Swedish or Scottish man of sort.
"It's not that hard to spot the Irish when you have green hair, you know?"
"Of course," the Irishman had to shake his head to rid of his silly overthinking, "No pot of gold, though."
"Aw what? Really? Should I make Chica lick you again?" Mark joked again, clearly wanting to warm up to his soulmate, which wasn't hard. They had some sort of chemistry, making them click in an instant.
"Chica's her name?" the blue eyed man asked, immediately crouching down to be level with the dog. He scratched the back of her ear in appreciation, making her bark happily.
"Yeah," the American replied too lovingly, admiring the sight in front of him. The happy glow in the man's beautiful bright blue eyes, the sweet small smile plastered on his joyful face. He was gonna see this more often — or at least he hoped to.
"I'm Mark, by the way. Mark Fischbach."
Jack stood up, still smiling, holding his hand out for a shake, "Nice to meet ye, Mark. I'm Seán McLoughlin, but please call me Jack."
The way he said Mark's name made the man fall harder — he just couldn't help it. He shouldn't be head-over-heels in love so quickly but what could he do? His soulmate was perfect .
"Wait, your name is Seán, but you want me to call you Jack ?"
"Yep. That's my nickname. I don't know how it was made but I just really prefer Jack over Seán."
"Okay then, Seán."
"Oh ha ha , very funny," the green haired man rolled his eyes playfully. "Maybe I should call ye Markimoo. Maybe that'll wipe the smirk off yer face."
"Wow, we're giving each other pet names this early? Okay then, Jackaboy. I'm totally fine with that."
Jack wished he wasn't so pale. Maybe his blushes wouldn't be too evident if he had a little bit more color in his skin.
"Shut up and leave me alone!"
"You're so adorable. I'm glad you're my soulmate," Mark simply commented, not a single bit of anxiety in his veins. All of the nervous energy had faded, and now he knew he shouldn't have been overthinking earlier at all. Everything would have been magical, no matter what he did. Everything was currently coming together naturally, falling into place perfectly, and he couldn't stop his heart from beating happily.
I really should give Chica a belly rub for a good job today.
"Y-Yeah. I guess that's what we are, huh? Soulmates ," Jack replied, kinda awkward, testing the word he loathed on his tongue. Now in this moment though, the idea of it didn't seem bad at all. Having someone like Mark reserved for him was something that sounded wonderfully comforting, and he hated to admit it, but he was actually enjoying this experience.
"Yeah, Jack. That's what we are."
And they were both happy with that fact.
"I guess I should start getting to know ye now that we're destined to fall in love," Jack casually said, shoving his hands into his pockets, feeling the blush on his cheeks return, "Maybe we could do that by walking together today?"
"Are you asking me on a date, McLoughlin?" his smile grew wider as he asked, his heart feeling warm.
"Maybe I am, Mark."
"In that case," the American held out his arm, " yes , we can walk together."
Jack took it, "This is weird."
"First fact of the day, I'm weird."
The Irishman laughed at that, "That's okay, I'm weird too."
"Okay, great! Now for the second fact. Chica normally leads the way on these walks," Mark comments, looking down at his dog with a smile, "Go ahead Chica."
And so they walked in the calm of the park, their hearts beating rapidly in joy, smiles warm and conversation light, nothing but happy thoughts filling their minds, the numbers on their wrists the same — zero .